Fruit-pitting machine



(No Model.)

A. DONATELLA FRUIT PITTING MAUHINE. N0. 250,794. Patented Dec. 13,1881.

UNETE ATENT rrrcnt FRUIT-PITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 250,794, dated December 13, 1881.

Application filed August15, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO DONATELLA, of Healdsburg, in the county of Sonoma, State of California, have invented a Fruit-Fitting Machine; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

Myinvention relates to theclass of machines designed for removing the pits or stones from fruit, and are commonly called fruit-pitting machines. It consists in the employment of a peculiar combined punch and knife which is brought down upon the fruit with a sudden force, the effect of which is to drive the pit downward through a perforated bed-plate and cut the fruit in half. The bed-plate is provided with a rubber cushion for the purpose of more thoroughly cleaning the pit as it is forced through. This will appear more fully in the course of the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective of my device. Fig. 2 isadetail of punch and blade. Fig. 3 is a 1011- gitudinal section of base-plate.

Let A represent a base-plate. On one end, upon its upper surface, is hollowed out a depression in which is fitted a rubber cushion, B. This cushionhas an elongated slit, a, and a central aperture, b, as shown, and in the base-plate below a similar slit and aperture is made, corresponding with those in the cushion, so that an opening is made through the cushion and baseplate. The cushion B is made to fit its socket tightly, but can easily be removed for the substitution of another when required. Upon the other end of the base-plate A is a standard, 0, bolted or otherwise secured firmly to said baseplate. From it extend horizontal guide-pieces D D.

E represents a bent rod, having a long arm,

.D and its upper end against the collar 6. The

short arm (1 passes loosely down through the ends of the guides D D. The end of the arm d is concaved slightly and hollowed out.

Gr represents a blade or knife, secured trans versely to the end of the arm at in any suitable manner, though shown here as let into a slit therein and held by a screw. This blade is so placed that its edge does not extend to the end of the arm (1, but said arm is a little below. The end of the arm (1, which I will now call the punch, is in a vertical line with the aperture b in the cushion and plate below, and the blade G is directly over the slit to in said cushion and plate, so that when the rod E is forced down the punch and blade will pass into the said aperture and slit.

To the end of the long arm of the rod E is attached a cord, H, the other end of which is attached to atreadle, I, properly fixed, so that when pressed upon by the foot the rod E will be drawn down so that its punch and blade will come down toward the cushion, and when released the spring F will throw it up again.

The operation of the device is as follows: It is intended to be secured to the edge of a table, and under the outer end will be secureda chute or receptacle to receive and carry oflf the pits. For convenience in description I will take a plum, for example. It is placed upon the rubber cushion upright, and held with the fingers. The foot is pressed upon the treadle with sudden force, and the rod or punch E descends. Its end dstrikes the center ofthe plum and drives the pit down before the blade or knife touches the plum. The pit is forced down through the aperture b and out below, while the plum is cut in two by the knife. The employment of the rubber cushion is beneficialin that it scrapes the pit cleaner and presents a softer surface for the fruit than the metal would, and thus is not liable to bruise or injure it. The punch, by being made hollow and concave,

as shown, fits the pit better, and will not cut 5 IOO pits. By working the device with the foot both hands can be employed to feed the fruit to the machine, and the operation can be made very rapid.

I am aware that, broadly, a reciprocating punch having wing cutting-blades is not new, and such, therefore, I only claim in combination with a peculiarly-shaped base-plate and other accessory improvements which I have made and will now claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The fruit-pitting device consisting of the base-plate A, with its end aperture and slit, the standard 0, guides D D, and bent rod E, adapted to have a vertical play by means of a spring, F, or equivalent device, said bent rod having on one end a transverse blade or knife, G, wlren arranged and used substantially as herein described.

2. The vertically-moving punch d, with its transverse blades or knives G, in combination with a base-plate, A, provided with a cushion conforming to the shape of the punch and knives, consisting of aperture b and oppositelyarranged slits a co, substantially as described.

3. The base-plate A,with its aperture 12 and slits a a, conforming in shape to the punch d and blade G, in combination with a verticallymoving punch, d, having a hollowed end with concaved edges, and provided with a transverse blade, G, the edge of which does not extend to the end of the punch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ANTONIO DONATELLA.

Witnesses WM. F. Boo'rn, S. H. NoURsE. 

